CANADA, December 19 - Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, has released the following statement about the Civil Forfeiture Office’s sale of the Hell’s Angels Kelowna clubhouse:
“In February 2023, three Hell’s Angels clubhouses in Vancouver, Kelowna and Nanaimo were forfeited to the Province – a major victory – following more than a decade of legal proceedings.
“Today, the government has finalized the sale of the former Hell’s Angels Kelowna clubhouse to the City of Kelowna, marking the next step in addressing organized crime in British Columbia.
“Included with this sale is a right of entry, a new tool that means the Civil Forfeiture Office will be able to take the property back if it is ever acquired and used by organized crime in the future.
“Everyone wants to build a good life in B.C. in a community you love, where everyone belongs and no one gets left behind. The sale of this property not only puts organized crime on notice, but offers communities an opportunity to turn a problematic property associated with crime into an asset for the community.
“In a time of change and uncertainty, we're working hard to keep people safe and communities strong. Today’s actions, along with other tools such as unexplained wealth orders, allow us to pursue ill-gotten gains generated from criminal activity more efficiently and are perfect illustrations of why we have civil forfeiture in B.C.
“Thank you to Civil Forfeiture Office staff for their continued work on what has been a lengthy process as well as the law enforcement agencies of B.C. that supported the Civil Forfeiture Office along the way. The sale today is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved and a prime example of how the work we are doing is going back to communities and the people of British Columbia. However, there is still a lot of work to do.
“In B.C., we don’t believe in getting ahead through violence, intimidation and criminal activity. Premier David Eby and I will continue to go after gangs, guns and toxic drugs that are hurting loved ones, take away their illegally acquired assets and protect British Columbians.”
